During “South Central Stars,” the first episode of Keyshawn Johnson’s new limited series “LA Legends,” Baron Davis made a bold claim that Paul Pierce is the greatest athlete to come out of the Los Angeles area.
“He’s a Hall of Famer,” Davis said. “He’s a champion. … He [has] got to be No. 1.”
“Based on start to finish, (Pierce) is numero uno,” Johnson said agreeingly.
With that notion, Pierce would be ranked over Hall of Famers such as Jackie Robinson, John Elway, Michael Cooper, and many others who made a name for themselves after growing up in LA.
Pierce, who won the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics in 2008, certainly has a strong case, which is impressive, as Los Angeles has shaped numerous sports icons. There aren’t many more knowledgeable people to discuss those figures than the three athletes Johnson sat down with — a player panel including himself, Davis, Pierce and 15-year NFL wide receiver and three-time Pro-Bowler DeSean Jackson.
Each had illustrious professional sports careers — in basketball for Davis and Pierce, and football for Johnson and Jackson — and their upbringings in Los Angeles helped launch their success. To kick off Johnson’s limited series, “LA Legends,” the player panel revealed narratives and shared stories that illuminated how coming up in the inner city of Los Angeles impacted their paths.
Johnson and Davis developed such strong connections with the city that they felt it was only right to pay Los Angeles back by representing it during their collegiate careers. Johnson played football at USC, while Davis remained local and played basketball at UCLA.
“I could always go home and get a meal from my auntie,” Johnson said.
That continuity and familiarity was crucial to Johnson’s success throughout college. It ultimately helped him get drafted first overall in the 1996 NFL Draft.
Davis’ decision on where to play college ball was also influenced by his love for Los Angeles.
“I wanted to put LA on the map,” he said. “I want to build a legacy here.”
He chose that, he said, over playing basketball at the University of Kansas, where Pierce ended up attending.
Pierce and Jackson had opposite reactions to growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles — choosing to leave the city for their college careers helped them avoid the negative side of gang culture. If it weren’t for that decision, their greatness might have been suppressed.
“I could not be in LA,” Pierce said, explaining why he chose KU. “I was about to fail out my senior year.”
He still, however, learned from his invaluable childhood in Los Angeles.
“The streets will shape you,” Pierce added. “You gotta learn when to run.”
Pierce took his opportunity to play at a nationally renowned program outside of Los Angeles and used that as his launching point to become one of the greatest athletes from LA, or as Davis and Johnson put it, “the best.”
Jackson chose UC Berkeley over Johnson’s alma mater, USC, but it was because Trojans’ head coach Pete Carroll gave his jersey number, No. 1, to Patrick Turner. It turned out to be a good move for Jackson as he was an All-American in 2006 and led the Pac-12 in yards per reception during his sophomore season.
Throughout their professional sports careers and adult lives, each of the players who appeared on “South Central Stars” kept the inner city of Los Angeles near their hearts and in their minds. Now, as they go into their post-career era, their stories can influence the next generation — showing that athletes from LA can make it to the top of their sport if they focus on their sport and remain dedicated.
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